Thursday, June 30, 2016

“Reel them in,” marine ecologist Dr. Mike Heithaus says with a laugh. No, Shark Weektitles don’t get much grabbier than his, Sharks vs. Dolphins: Face Off, which premieres tonight at 10 p.m. on Discovery. As it suggests, the two species are at odds more than we suspect, and the hour looks at not only likely attack scenarios — see one in the sneak peek above — but also the strengths and weaknesses of each.http://tinyurl.com/jp4j42a

Wednesday, June 29, 2016

Will Burrard-Lucas likes to photograph unsuspecting African animals with strategically placed camera traps. For his latest project, the wildlife photographer sought to capture images of nocturnal animals as they conduct their affairs at night, and the results are spectacular. Burrard-Lucas, with the help ofAfrican ParksandNorman Carr Safaris, recently undertook two expeditions to Liuwa Plain, a remote national park in the west of Zambia. His goal was to capture striking images of animals in low-light conditions, which can be a formidable and technically challenging task.

Tuesday, June 28, 2016

Discovery’s Shark Week continues tonight with the premiere of three new specials: At 8 p.m., it’s Shallow Water Invasion, which looks at great whites moving into shallow at night at Mexico’s Guadalupe Island. At 9 p.m., it’s Jaws of the Deep, which finds marine biologist Greg Skomal and the REMUS SharkCam team deploying a new AUV (autonomous underwater vehicle) at Guadalupe Island to capture footage of great whites “gliding” — and possibly “napping.” And at 10 p.m., Dr. Craig O’Connell returns to do more testing on his Sharksafe Barrier in Sharks Among Us.http://tinyurl.com/javjl2d

Monday, June 27, 2016

Linda Peck has two raccoons in the bathroom, five more in a pen outside, a robin on the back porch. In the basement, she's raising mice to feed the raptors. A wildlife rehabilitator for 30-plus years, Peck, 74, fields calls — and takes in animals — from throughout Minnesota. The animals arrive injured, diseased, shot, poisoned — as many as 250 of them in a single year. "I believe (animals) enrich our lives. They enrich mine, and I think if we don't maintain a connection to the natural world we are losing some joy. We're going to lose our own existence if we don't learn how to live gently," Peck said, explaining why she continues an effort that can be as heartbreaking as it is rewarding.

Friday, June 24, 2016

It's not just humans who play around or treat themselves to junkfood! Whether they live in the wild, in zoos, or as pets in our homes, animals also like to horse around or pig out every once in a while.http://tinyurl.com/hltgrz3

Thursday, June 23, 2016

An 11-year-old Orange County girl has made it her mission to save homeless animals. When Emmy Perry of Dana Point was 7 years old, she created an organization to do just that, calling it Emmy's Hope."I know what I'm doing is helping," Emma Perry said. "I saw so many dogs in need of help and homes." She's an actress and singer in addition to being a life-long animal crusader, and donates a portion of the money she earns directly to animal shelters.

Wednesday, June 22, 2016

A marathon runner who was mauled by a bear in New Mexico on Saturday thought quickly, played dead and escaped injured, but alive. The female bear, which wildlife officials said was with her cubs when she was surprised by the runner, was captured and put to death. New Mexico officials said they were “confident” they had the right bear, which wore a radio collar, and noted with regret that state law requires them to euthanize and test for rabies any wild animal that attacks or bites a person, no matter the circumstances.

A marathon runner who was mauled by a bear in New Mexico on Saturday thought quickly, played dead and escaped injured, but alive. The female bear, which wildlife officials said was with her cubs when she was surprised by the runner, was captured and put to death. New Mexico officials said they were “confident” they had the right bear, which wore a radio collar, and noted with regret that state law requires them to euthanize and test for rabies any wild animal that attacks or bites a person, no matter the circumstances.

Tuesday, June 21, 2016

In the latest tragedy involving a zoo animal, Harambe the gorilla was shot dead after a four-year old boy fell into his enclosure at the Cincinnati zoo. While the child sustained no injuries, the 17-year old endangered animal lost his life, despite displaying behavior which has led experts to believe that Harambe was merely trying to protect the child. A mere week prior, two healthy lions were also shot dead when a visitor willingly entered their enclosure and reportedly tried to taunt them into attacking him in a zoo in Chile.http://tinyurl.com/goqonsm

Monday, June 20, 2016

Among the many reactions to this month's killing of Harambe, the gorilla at the Cincinnati Zoo, is a question: Can animals, especially smart ones like gorillas, ever be truly happy in zoos?http://tinyurl.com/glgcbym

Friday, June 17, 2016

The topic of animal rights is not easy to discuss, with a lot of people sharing differing views regarding the matter. Answers in Genesis founder Ken Ham has joined the discussion and shared his thoughts on whether animals deserve to have rights just like humans."It's not uncommon to see animals exalted and valued far above humans. Animal rights groups, such as PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals), vehemently fight against the use of animals for anything," he writes on his blog.

Thursday, June 16, 2016

Ambitious plans by a poor Chinese village to kickstart a tourism boom by attracting a few dozen monkeys from nearby hills appears to have backfired as locals now complain of hundreds of the animals terrorising their community.http://tinyurl.com/zck6dcz

Wednesday, June 15, 2016

Humanity getting on your nerves? We hear you. Sometimes the best thing to do is to just hit the couch and watch a movie about nature taking its revenge on homo sapiens. But which film to watch? This list has you covered, broken down by what animal you’d most like to see dominating the dominant species on the planet.http://tinyurl.com/hwz7uxr

Tuesday, June 14, 2016

In ancient Rome, they would have been pitted against gladiators or served up at banquets.Now a caiman, a python and a troop of monkeys that have been confiscated from mobsters, drug dealers or collectors find safe haven at a rescue centre in the Eternal City. Inside the majestic Appia Antica park near the historic city centre, a veterinary clinic called "Our Animal Kingdom" is now home to exotic turtles, deer, boars, parrots, vultures, eagles and even a group of excitable lemurs. Every year, Italy's police and forest guard rescue around 400 exotic animals, according to Raffaele Manicone, head of the local branch of CITES, the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora.http://tinyurl.com/jgpwxpe

Monday, June 13, 2016

A baby koala is experiencing life outside of its mother's pouch for the first time. The joey was actually born back in November, but didn't emerge from her mother, Cambee, until recently. They both live at the San Diego Zoo, which is home to largest Queensland koala breeding program outside of Australia. "It is always fun when we get to work with koala joeys and watch their personalities develop," said San Diego Zoo keeper Lacy Pearson in a statement. “At this age, she has not shown us her personality yet, but she is doing great, and has already started to eat eucalyptus leaves."

Friday, June 10, 2016

The Lincoln Park Zoo welcomed a new camel last month, and if its name is any indication, the animal is destined for greatness. Born to Bactrian camels Nasan and Scooter on May 9, "Alexander Camelton" entered the world a healthy 81 pounds, already standing four feet tall.Alexander was named in honor of the founding father, who's going through a pop-culture rebirth thanks to Lin-Manuel Miranda's musical, which debuts in Chicago later this year. Zookeepers even cited the record-shattering hip-hopera "Hamilton" in their naming decision, which they announced in aSaturday Facebook post.

Thursday, June 9, 2016

The sad story of Harambe, a 1-year-old silverback gorilla killed at the Cincinnati Zoo on May 28 brings into focus the value—and morality—of zoos. After a three-year old boy wandered into Harambe’s enclosure, the gorilla was shot dead to “rescue” the boy. Heartbreakingly, a bystander’s video revealed that Harambe was actually being protective of his young visitor, even holding hands with the child for a few moments until the uproar from a panicked crowd resulting in him assuming a dominating stance.http://tinyurl.com/jmq2zft

Wednesday, June 8, 2016

Animals are all over the news right now, with science discoveries and feel-good stories. A Florida woman found two manatees swimming around her backyard and munching on grass after Tropical Storm Colin hit the area, causing the tide to rise over a seawall. "Another awesome experience," Nancy Smith posted on Instagram with a video of her second manatee sighting.

Friday, June 3, 2016

The Gorilla World exhibit at the Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Garden will reopen Tuesday, with a taller barrier around the gorilla enclosure, the zoo announced today. "It takes hard work and a sustained commitment to excellence to meet AZA accreditation standards," Thane Maynard, the director of the Cincinnati Zoo, said in a statement, referring to the Association of Zoos and Aquariums.

Wednesday, June 1, 2016

A South Dakota wildlife official is trying to combat a scene she sees several times every summer: A mom and her children show up carrying a box with holes poked in the top and a baby wild animal inside. The family thinks they've rescued it from apparent abandonment, but that's far from the truth, Thea Miller Ryan says, because the rescue can be harmful, even deadly. So, with the backdrop of thebison calf in Yellowstonethat had to be euthanized this month after tourists put it in their car, Ryan is taking to social media to teach people to let nature take its course.